Mannar farmers plight spotlighted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 September 2002, 18:31 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Saturday brought to the notice of the United National Front government the urgent need to repair the major Giant Tank in Mannar district, which irrigates more than twenty five thousand acres of paddy land.

"More than six thousand five families solely depend on this tank for their livelihood and sustenance," said TNA Vanni district parliamentarian Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan in a letter to the Minister of Irrigation and Water Management.

The Giant Tank has been neglected for the past several years due to military operations. The tank is in danger of breaching its bunds during the coming northeast monsoon due to fifteen years of disrepair, farmer organizations said.

But the Ministry for Irrigation and Water Management is yet to release any money despite several appeals by local farmers associations, said Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan.